The BWL Twin
by hellzboy
Summary: There was not one but two that night at Godric's Hollow that was left to live but with unexpected trouble, one got left behind and was thought of dead while the other moved on without ever knowing. What happens when the one thought of dead sent a letter asking to be applied in Hogwarts after 15 years? And though happy to meet his twin wasn't the one he's after but another?
1. Prologue

**_Disclaimer:_** Do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

**_Prologue_**

**[****_October 31, 1980_****] [****_Hogwarts_****, ****_Scotland_****]**

****"Oh, my…" muttered sorrowfully from Professor McGonagall's lips as she tried to hold back her tears. Hagrid, the half-giant, wasn't as considerate.

"I…I'm so sorry!" Hagrid said as he continues to wipe what looks like never ending tears, never moving from his spot in the middle of their headmaster's office.

It had only been a couple of minutes since Hagrid delivered the dreadful news but to them, the silence seemed like it has been hours. The small group of four that had gathered in Dumbledore's office having just finished a discussion on moving the Potters before the Dark Lord found out of their address, had ironically been just told of the tragic news of their deaths by a weeping half-giant holding a baby. Needless to say, it was the most inconsolable failure that they had ever had, more so to _Hagrid_.

"And the other…?" asked the Headmaster after those few minutes of mournful silence. Professor Snape looked up expectantly to the half-giant. Hagrid, if possible, only wept more.

"I-I… I _lost him_."

"…"

"…"

"…"

Understandably, no words were needed to be said after.

**_Tbc_**


	2. Chapter One

**Chapter [****_One_****]**

**[****_Fifteen years later, at Number 12 Grimmauld Place, London_****]**

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN I HAVE A BROTHER?!" a distraught Harry Potter yelled out.

"Now Harry, please calm down—" Arthur Weasley, ever the pacifier, soothe.

"THIS IS THE FIRST I EVER HEARD OF IT!" Harry continued, ignoring the red head. "YOU TOLD ME I WAS AN ONLY CHILD!" he directed at his Godfather, who looked away guiltily.

"I understand why you're upset Harry—" started Albus, "UPSET?!", "but do not take it out on your Godfather" at this, Harry seemed to settle down a little until Albus continued that is.

"—I was the one whom ordered the others not to mention about your brother."

"WHY?!" exploded Harry.

"If you settle down, then I may tell you why." Albus firmly ordered with a fixed stare to which Harry glared but sat down with a huff of contempt. The Headmaster smiled a grandfatherly smile and sat back down himself at the head of the dining table where an order meeting was currently being held. The other members gathered, sighed in relief.

"Now, as I was saying. Harry, you have a brother, a _twin_ brother actually that your mother named Charlus Evan Potter. She named him after your ancestor, Charlus." Dumbledore explained to his disbelieving student.

"It was one for each." Sirius added gently, as if to not alarm his godson to another shouting frenzy. "Lily chose the name for one twin and James chose for other, meaning you."

"Yes, it was quite the occasion. Twins born in our world is very special because of its rarity." Albus supplied with a smile, if only Harry cared for the tidbit.

"Then _why_ not tell me that I had _one_?" Harry asked through clenched teeth. His anger could clearly be seen from the white knuckles his hands were clearly showing. Albus' smile dropped and adapted one of regret, same for those who were involved, and let out a breath before explaining.

"I truly apologize for that Harry, my boy. If I had known that he was still alive then I would have searched more thoroughly for him." The old man said with every word as sincere as he could possibly make. Harry's grip loosened and Albus continued.

"When we heard of the news, I had honestly thought that you were the last one left alive. Voldemort's intention was to leave non alive and it was in my mistake to assume that you were the only one left. That night, neither the order nor any from the ministry had even a glimpse of another baby. Not even a trace of a magical signature besides those of an adult had been found."

"Still! Why not tell me that I had a brother at least?!" Harry cried out.

"I hadn't wanted to add more to your pain, telling you that you had lost a _twin_." Albus answered. "They say that those born of a twin shares half of the same soul thus feeling more connected but those of a _magical_ twin shares one _core_ of the same magic thus having a much deeper connection than that of a muggle twin.

"I had wanted for you to not acknowledge an empty part of you that would have brought you to despair." Albus finished. Harry's mind instantly went to the twins, Fred and George, and thought of how one of them would end up being if one would ever lose the other being so close as they were and deflated from his anger.

"Then why…" Harry whispered, looking down. "Then why tell me this now?" he asked quietly, not having the strength to look up until Albus gave him a letter, to which he took in a blink.

It was a white envelope used for letters. Very different from the parchment wizards used and very muggle looking. It appeared to have been written with the modern ball pen and had a muggle feel to it. It had a sticker on the top left hand corner and looks very much like a muggle had sent it but was obviously very familiar with magic because of the very formal words of _Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_ written at the back of it.

It was slightly crumpled from what obviously been on the journey via owl but still flat enough that the envelope's seal was still intact, meaning it hadn't traveled far from where it was sent. Harry opened it hastily.

_Dear Headmaster Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore,_

_I apologize for not giving a more formal letter after my, what I understand to be lack of appearance for fifteen years. You see, I had just recently discovered of your community, (world really, if I understand just how big this world of yours is) and would like to be accepted as a student in your highly privileged school. I understand that I already had an open seat paid for by my parents…?_

_This may come to a shock from you and I do not blame you for not believing me at first but I believe my name is Charlus Evans Potter; one of the sons of the late James and Lilly Potter and twin brother of the savior of the Wizarding World Harry James Potter._

Harry's eyes widened at the bold declaration but continued reading on.

_I know how much of a bold declaration this is and am not ignorant if others have made the same statement. For the trouble, I am willing for a face-to-face and accept any tests you want to make to confirm my identity. (I am also willing to accept on any conclusion that you will reach on which I may or may not be.)_

_For now, I am currently residing at Germany and on my way to London, of which I heard where the Ministry resides. For personal reasons, I will not state on where or when I am to arrive and will only give you another letter after I am settled down. On that next letter will be where I will reveal on the details to where we can meet and where you can bring me to whatever place that you will conduct the interview._

_I do hope that there will be no animosity between us for I am merely a muggle with questionably talents (if you might not have figured yet) whose just as confused as you are (possibly.) and hope to settle this matter smoothly without any disorder whatsoever._

_Yours Sincerely,_

_Charlus "Bard" Evans Potter._

Harry looked up after he had read the whole thing. Needless to say, he was confused about the whole thing.

"What do you think Pup?" Sirius asked nervously. Not even he could find a proper emotion to react with when he saw the letter.

"Perfectly understandable to be confused," said Mad-eye, speaking up for the first time, "If you ask me, that letter wasn't well made. Lots of holes, if you know what I mean." He told them, taking a drink from his canister.

"Oh hush now Moody!" Molly Weasley spoke next, "it isn't the way the letter's been worded that would be confusing!"

"You already did the interview, didn't you" Harry said, cutting of the rest of what Mrs. Weasley would have said. Albus nodded his head.

"We have and had confirmed it." The headmaster answered honestly.

"WHAT?! THIS IS THE FIRST I'VE HEARD OF IT!" Sirius yelled out in rage, making a loud scraping noise with his chair as he stood up. Remus automatically tried to calm his best friend down. Albus continued despite the shock from most of the order members that had also just heard of it.

"I had Alastor, Severus, Minerva and Poppy as my witnesses."

"So it's true…?" Nymphadora Tonks muttered.

"Where's the dear now?" Molly asked worriedly, already believing Dumbledore's word. Albus, not leaving his sights on Harry answered with a little bit of hesitancy.

"On his way here as we speak."

"Albus-!" Even Minerva had to speak for Harry's sensibilities but was cut off by the sound of a doorbell that had every head look up.

"…"

It was minutes before someone spoke up.

"I'll open the door." Remus declared and did just that. Not even Sirius had the courage to stop him. Albus noticed that Harry had looked up when the doorbell rang and turned to the direction the front door was but wasn't moving.

Few seconds felt like a lifetime to them 'till they heard the front door squeaked open from its aging screws and the sound of Remus' voice as he greeted the one whom they all thought dead until a few days, to some, minutes to others, ago. A low definite male's voice replied.

"Nice to meet you Remus, now could you tell me where my twin is at?"

**_Tbc_**


	3. Chapter Two

**Chapter [****_Two_****]**

**[****_Number 12, Grimmauld Place, London_****]**

_"__Nice to meet you Remus, now could you tell me where my twin is at?"_

With that said, every head turned to look at said 'twin'.

Harry James Potter, 'Boy-Who-Lived', 'The Chosen One' and supposed 'Future Savior of The Wizarding World' at that very moment, wanted nothing more than to… RUN. But before he could, not more than a few chosen steps, an identical messy head of hair came popping in through the doorway with identical looking emerald pair of eyes scanning the room before stopping pointedly at him. A grin appeared on its face along with a set of arms and long, surprisingly, fast pair of legs covered in dark colored jeans. And before Harry could form a sentence, he was embraced by his taller more muscled identical.

Some of the members stood up with their hands automatically grabbing their wands with some left sitting with surprised looks on their faces, not having yet processed what has happened.

"Finally nice to _meet_ you, Twin!" The taller raven said joyously with a big smile on his face. Harry was just confused by the whole thing but could feel his whole body relaxing the longer he was in the hug. Harry blinked once he was standing on his own again and looked up only to see _his_ face, only more healthier, confident looking with a bit of tan, complete with nice looking framed glasses that actually went nicely (downright _handsomely_) on _his_ face.

"U-uuhmm.." Harry stuttered, not knowing what to say. _'What do you say to your twin that you haven't known existed for fifteen years until now?'_ he thought.

"An introduction would be a start." His _twin_ said, still with a smile. Harry blinked in surprise. _'Twin Telepathy?'_ Harry couldn't help but think.

"Nope, though we could experiment with that sometime in the year." The other said then patted his head, which Harry for some reason, felt a little embarrassed of but didn't dislike it. "You're kind of smaller than I'd imagined but makes up with that adorable face of yours." The other teased. Harry got a little annoyed and slapped away the hand that was cupping his cheek, still with the slight blush.

"We're _identical_, idiot!" he chided to which his twin laughed at. "You got me there! But you're still the cuter one." He continued to which Harry pouted. (AN: Cutely, might I add)

As this was going on, Sirius and the others watched them quietly from the sidelines. They did not to break up their little fun reunion so had not said a word to what might disrupt a good sibling like conversation. Watching them act as though they've never part from each other brought some of them to tears, none more so than to Sirius and Remus (the latter having just followed the other twin). Some were thankful that the doorbell didn't manage to wake up a certain sleeping portrait. Albus just smiled his grandfatherly smile as he too watched them silently.

"So?" the other taller twin then started, to which Harry tilted his head in question. "So…?"

"We haven't formally introduced each other yet!" his _twin_, reminded him with a light smack on the head. Harry, already used to how his brother was (though it was but a few minutes that they've interacted) ignored the smack and held up his hand for a shake with the same smile his brother is sporting.

"Name's Harry James Potter, 15 years old and starting fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Boy-Who-Lived and Savior of Wizarding Society." Harry didn't know why but having to say those last two titles didn't feel as awkward as it was to say to his brother as much as to other people. In fact, he felt lighter than what normally weighs when hearing those words and he felt nothing off of it. His brother smirked handsomely at him to which he felt ever prouder at having to say it so nonchalantly. He felt his hand grabbed and shaken.

"The name's Charlus Potter. I grew up with the name "Bard" though so call me that, 15 years old and also starting off my magical education as a fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, nice to meet you." "Bard" introduced. It was the first time Harry felt very lucky in life.

And with that, Harry's life started anew with a twin brother by his side.

"Cool!" A simultaneous double voice sounded as two identical red heads appeared and draped themselves over the happy raven.

"So, Harry!" one started.

"We heard that you had a twin!"

"Bloody Awesome Mate!"

"But don't think you can beat us as coolest twins!"

"We've had that title for more years than we can remember!"

"And we don't plan on giving up the title just yet!"

"Or maybe ever!"

"Anyway, where is this new twin of yours?"

"A little disappointed that you haven't introduced us yet mate!"

"Or even told us!"

"We had to find out from Tonks about this new development of yours!"

"Sirius got all teary eyed and couldn't get a word out from him!" they ignored the shout of Sirius' "I WASN'T CRYING DAMNIT!" "SIRIUS LANGUAGE!" (AN: Guess who that was)

"And Remus had this creepy smile that he couldn't get rid of no matter what he did on his face."

"So tell us."

"Where'd you get a twin?"

"And when are you planning to introduce us to him?" They finally finished. Harry felt so good that morning when he woke up that he didn't even mind that Albus borrowed his brother for a bit to have a private chat, which of course he was going to ask as to what it was about, that he just giggled at the twins with his good mood.

"He's with Professor Dumbledore at the moment talking about some stuff." He then told the twins about the good news and apologized for not introducing them earlier. At that time Ron and Ginny came down for breakfast.

"What're you guys talking about?" Ron asked with a yawn at the end as he sat down and proceeded to dig in his morning breakfast. Ginny was more civilized than his brother and sat down and ate with more decency than the latter that made her better notice the more happy atmosphere than what was normal in the more or less gloomy atmosphere of the aging household of the most Ancient and Noble house of Black.

"Tell me what prank you two did now before I spill out some nasty secrets that I swore would never tell to mum if you guys left me out in whatever pranks you guys have cooked in those brains of yours." Ginny announced with a waving spoon at her brothers. The red head twins gave their grinned twin devilish smiles at her.

"Though we happily start our day with a fresh prank." One started again.

"It's much too early for us to play." The other followed.

"Like mum always says—"

"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It gives us much more brain power to add to our planned pranks a dash more of something special."

"Right, right, dear brother" nodded one twin.

"And besides,"

"We just heard a rather interesting,"

"And brilliant news this morning that just—"

"Demanded our attention." They finished together. Ginny only blinked curiously, having been used to how her twin brothers talk since she was a babe.

"And that is…?" she trailed off. But before the twins can gave her the excitable news, the news itself appeared just behind the doorway where Harry and the red head twins were currently sitting behind with her just directly across from it giving her first full glance at whoever comes in from the threshold. Her eyes widened at the sight.

"Bloody hell" Ron gasped out rather disgustingly as he still had some food hanging out from his mouth as he too noticed the newcomer. Thankfully, he gulped it down in his surprised shock.

"Ha-Harry?" Ginny stuttered out, not believing her eyes as she stared at the slightly healthier looking double of Harry before going back to the one sitting across from her and back again at the one standing beside their headmaster. Doing it a couple more times before getting back up and managing to revert back to her shy ways from the first time she saw Harry Potter as she passes the _other_ Harry towards her room. The twins' eyes follow her before stopping by the doorway where Harry's _identical _twin was standing, a little confused by the girl's reaction before smirking and giving a light chuckle in amusement. The twins give no time before they're up giving rapid questions back and forth while their youngest brother still gapes shockingly at Harry's twin.

"So _you're_ Harry's twin, Charlus, isn't it?" says Fred.

"Never thought he would be an identical like us, right gred?" the others starts.

"Never did hear Tonks mention it, no, Forge."

"_Nearly_ identical though Forge."

"Yes, Fred. Not like us at all."

"Not _nearly _like us at all Forge."

"He is a little bit taller than our Harry here. Like 4-5 inches tall wouldn't you say George?"

"I'd say nearly head to chin, Fred. He also has longer locks than our Harry."

"Unruly but more tamed and soft just like a girl's." George (or Fred) nodded as they continue their observations. "How'd you managed that mate?" They then started to poke around his body.

"Whoah mate!" one of them cried out in surprise, "You a Quidditch player or just like working out so much? These guns feel solid!"

"Whoah, you're right George! Have you been playing with Durmstrang recently because I heard their muscles are as tough as rocks!"

"Though I do like guys touching me as much as the next guy; don't you think this has gone far enough?" Harry's doppelganger casually intervened. The twins suddenly realized as much and took one, two step back.

"Sorry mate." They apologized and was received a charming smile and an intro in return. "No worries mates'. Name's Charlus Potter but my friend's call me 'Bard'."

"That's a funny name 'Bard'" Bard merely shrugged as if he gets that all the time.

"Name's Fred Weasley and he's my brother George. Like you and Harry, we're identical twins so much so that rumor has it our dear ol' mum couldn't tell us apart." Fred dramatically ended with wiping a fake tear of his eye.

"Hey wait a minute George!" Cut in the other twin, "I thought I was Fred and you were George!" 'Fred' stopped and looked at his twin.

"Oh you're right Gred!" Corrected George, "Sorry, Bard. He's Fred and I'm George!" "Right you are Forge!" smiled the other twin. Their antics were stopped (thankfully) by their plump of a mother, Molly Weasley.

"Stop confusing the dear you devilish twins and let him eat! Poor dear must be starving since having arrived late last night!" Mrs. Weasley wavered about, pushing Bard next to a very amused Harry which resulted in getting a pinch on his cheek. The Weasley twins then sat across the potter twins besides Ron who looked as if he still hadn't taken in the fact that there were two _Harry's_ until Fred (or George) slapped him in the back. Ron nearly hit his head on the table but manages to jolt himself off of it.

"Stop staring at him as if he's from another planet _Ronnikins_" the twin beside him said.

"So—sorry…" Ron spluttered out, getting a sip from his cup. "Here you go dear." Mrs. Weasley said with all her motherly charm as she set down a breakfast platter in front of their newest guest. Bard accepted all with his smile.

"So why 'Bard'?" asked Ron as they got comfortable in the living room. They were thankful to Mrs. Weasley as she gave the kids an extra hour before helping her with the clean up to digest all that they've eaten. She excused the potter twins as she told them to go 'bond as siblings first'. "No offense," Ron hurriedly added.

"None taken" Bard waved off. "As for my name, well... It's been what I've been called all my life so perhaps I've grown used to it." Somehow, Ron just got the feeling that he was being insulted but with the smile that came together with that, he just couldn't feel mad about it.

"Ignore Ronald, Bard. He sometime leaves his brain in his stomach." Hermione Granger, the girl who had arrived a little bit after breakfast and was thankfully the only one to actually accept without any shocked gazes from. A "Hey!" from Ron was ignored.

"So tell us about yourself Bard. You lived your whole life without ever knowing magic until just recently?" ask the inquisitive girl.

"Do magicians count?" Bard teased back. Hermione rolled her eyes good naturedly, "if any of them were real ones doing fake tricks then yes."

"I don't suppose you'd be much impressed with the name 'The Great Ozland' then, would you?" Bard grinned back. "Ha ha, Bard" Hermione again rolled her eyes to which Bard chuckled a little.

"So you've never had magical accidents when you were younger?" Harry asked his eyes glinting at a memory. Bard caught a glimpse of it before answering.

"So those 'accidents' I get are normal, then?" Harry blinked up to him. Bard smirked before telling them some of his life story.

"You were in a circus?"

"You _ran away _with the circus? And I thought that only happens in movies" A muttered "What's a _movie_?" was heard.

"You're best friends with a _prince_?"

"You actually learned magic from a _circus_ magician?"

Bard leant back on the couch then pushed his glasses up as he grinned to all the disbelief that was currently directed at him.

"Yes I joined the circus, Yes I _ran away_ with the circus and a movie is like a moving picture that acts out a story for 2-3 hours Ron. Yes, I am friends with a prince, but he's more like a little brother to me and yes I learned magic from a _circ_ magician Hermione." Bard finished counting down the questions with his fingers.

"I just can't believe it…" uttered Ron in a slightly awed voice.

"Well, I can accept the last part but to be friends with a prince?" Hermione scoffed at the idea.

"Believe it or not, doesn't matter with me." Bard shrugged.

"There's still one last thing though." Ginny said, having come down after getting a hold of herself (and her crush). "You said you just _recently_ discovered 'Wizarding Society', so you weren't aware of us before? Even when you knew you had magic?"

"Right Gin." One of the twins said that turned to him. "How'd you found out about us? I thought we were 'super secret' and all." At this, Bard smiled as he recalled a sweet memory, which none of them noticed as they thought it was his usual smile. He then laughed a bit before looking back at them.

"It's a funny story actually," he turned beside him to his twin, "a guy approached me mistaking me for you."

"Must have been a fan then" Ron nodded sympathetically, knowing how fans are around Harry. Bard chuckled a bit and said, "I hardly doubt that."

"An enemy then?" Ginny asked worriedly. "Oh it wasn't a death eater was it?" Hermione asked which made Harry look at Bard with worry but was quickly erased by a rub on his head by said twin.

"Don't worry you're pretty little head Harry. It wasn't a death eater or any kind of person who'd want to off me as quickly." He lifted his hand off as he recalled the memory.

"He was young, old as me but tall as Harry here." He tried to mess his twin's head again but got slapped away which he only smiled amusedly at and continued. "Pale bright hair, stormy gray eyes, had a bit of an air on him. I think you all personally know him since you go to the same school, a Draco Malfoy…?" he trailed off noticing how familiar his new found friends are with the name.

"Oh you poor thing!" Ginny suddenly started giving a sympathetic look to only which Bard rose a brow.

"To think all the places in the world and you end up with that _git_ showing you our world." Ron followed with disgust in his voice.

"What did he _do_?" Hermione asked also with a spurned look. Bard turned at his twin with a questioning look.

"Draco Malfoy is in the same school as us but he's a Slytherin." A look of understanding dawned on his face. Harry nodded as he continued, "we have been sort of rivals since our first year."

"I kind of guessed from the way he talked. It was pretty adorable actually." At the word 'adorable' Ron started to choke on air.

"You might've got a screw loose in there mate since you just called the Ice prince 'adorable'" one of the twins said. Bard only smirked in reply. Harry stared at his twin questionably.

"So this is the 'Family Tree Room'…?" Bard wonders out loud as he examines what looks to be like the family tree of the House of Black.

"I don't really know since this is the first I've seen this but I guess it is…" Harry answers as he also looks through the names and moving pictures. He then stopped at a name familiar to him but with a black hole as the picture. Bard notices it as well and comes behind his brother for a closer look.

"'Siruis'" read Bard. "He's your godfather right?" he asked the solemn looking Harry.

"Yeah…" was Harry's inattentive answer. Bard frowned and jerked him out of his thoughts. Harry blinked a couple of times before looking at his twin like he just remembered that he was there. "Oh…" he sighed out before turning back to the wall. After a couple of minutes in silence Harry finally decided to speak out his worries to his brother, which Bard was waiting for.

"Are you so sure that you want to be involved with me?" Harry asked quietly still looking at the wall. Bard replied without missing a beat.

"Yes."

Harry was surprised by the tone more than the answer that his brother said having not really expecting it that it made his eyes widen and forced his body to turn to look at Bard. His twin's narrowed sharp, serious eyes made his body rigid.

"_Why?_" the words having come out of his mouth before he could even comprehend it. Bard was looking as if he was expecting this kind of discussion before Harry even thought about it made him a tad bit angry without knowing the reason why exactly before a bunch of words continued spewing out without his consent.

"You know the situation, don't you? _I know _you do. The fact that Voldemort's alive is not a joke! Don't get me wrong, I'm happy that we get to meet, but this isn't exactly the best time to have a reunion! Death eaters are amuck, _Voldemort_ is _alive_, not to mention I've just been attacked by a Dementer! Do you know what those things are? They suck your soul out by eating away your happy memories!" Harry was panting now and looked like he was about to cry at any given moment. "I barely escaped getting expelled from Hogwarts because I wasn't of age yet to use magic outside of school. Everybody thinks I'm liar and an _attention seeker_. Sirius, the only family _I thought I had left_, can't step out of this house because he's an _accused criminal_. And someone d-_died_ because of me…" Harry had his head bowed and felt tears escaping from his eyelids.

"No-no matter what Professor Dumbledore says, I don't think it's _safe_ for you to be in Hogwarts. Sly-Slytherin has sons and daughters whose parents are death eaters and they might—" Harry shook his head, "_No_. They _will_ find out that you're my twin and they'll use that against me." Harry gazed seriously at Bard who returned it with his confident smirk throwing Harry off guard.

"Don't be counting me out just yet twin brother."

"Bu-but…" stuttered Harry. Bard put a stop of it with a hand raised.

"I'm hardly stupid Harry. I know the situation. It's hardly a secret what you've been through. People talk, news—though not really reliable—have its own information to tell and books are self-updating—which is really reliable." Bard pushed his glasses up with a smirk.

"Trust me when I say that even if Voldemort founds out about me, he wouldn't dare do anything to me."

"Da-dare?" When Bard nodded his head Harry realized something important, "So you believe me?" to which Bard replied, "Of course, I'm you're twin brother after all." Harry was rendered speechless and a little pink from it. Bard continued.

"As much as you say how powerful this Voldemort is, _Tom Riddle_" Harry flinched in surprise, "_is_ a smart man." Then he added as an afterthought, "If psychosis hasn't sunk in yet" in a small voice.

"Wait—How'd you know about Tom_?_" asked a bewildered Harry. Bard placed an arm around his shoulders instead.

"Tell you later, for now, just don't worry about me. I'm safe as it is and _absolutely nothing_ will happen this year." Before Harry could say anything, Sirius found them in the room.

**_[Platform Nine and Three Quarters, King's Cross Station, London] [Hogwarts Express]_**

Bard let out an impressed whistle from his lips as he gazed upon the Hogwarts' very awe-inspiring train sitting on the rails of Platform's nine and three quarters.

"It is pretty impressive, isn't it?" Harry said also gazing upon its magnificence then turned to his brother with a smile. "This is only the start. Wait until you see the school." Bard smiled at him and nodded back before both of them pushed their carts to the train following the Weasley's.

After having said their goodbyes to Sirius and the other members of the order that decided to escort them to the station, they climb up the train and searched for a compartment to sit in (Hermione and Ron leaving them to go to the prefect's carriage). They ended up sitting with Ginny who introduced them to Luna Lovegood, Ravenclaw and Neville Longbottom whom surprisingly enjoyed talking to Bard despite his shy attitude. A little while later, to Bard's delightful surprise, Draco with his 'cronies' made an unexpected visit.

"YOU-!" Draco yelled out in surprised then covered his mouth after words in shock of yelling. His eyes though, were wide as he stared at the cause of his shock.

Bard had his hand on his face though not so much that it was covering his eyes and was currently smirking like a cat that caught a canary. Everyone in the vicinity had a confused look in their faces and in their thoughts, except the interesting blond girl that continued to sift through her upside-down magazine. Harry was the first one to recover and expecting trouble form Draco as he always does, he decided to put a stop on it and stood up to make clear his point.

"Draco, we don't want any trou—" a chuckle interrupted his words which made them turn to his brother.

"Mr. Malfoy, I'm glad to be in your acquaintance once again." Bard said in an amused tone while looking at an almost frightened Draco Malfoy. Harry had to stop and stare for confirmation on his thoughts, _'Malfoy? Afraid?'_.

"Not in your life! You peasant!" Draco yelled out in response, almost defensive in tone and turned to leave but was halted with his wrist grabbed by a firm grip. He turned and tried to pull his hand back but was stopped by a now standing, Bard. He was fighting off a blush that threatened to come out when he noticed the proximity of their faces.

"I demand you to let go-!"

"'Peasant'?" Bard inturrepted smoothly, "I don't think after what I've shown you, you would call me, least of all, _consider_ me a _peasant_, now would you?" he continued, his voice low… almost like a purr. Harry blinked when he saw Draco's face turn a slight red shade.

"_Please_," Draco replied in his snobbish tone, pulling away from Bard, who let him, "that was hardly called _wealth_, _peasant_." He gave a glared and left with a _strut_. Draco's 'cronies' not understanding what just happened followed behind but not before giving a glare of their own.

"What just happened?" uttered Ginny. Neville gave a shook of his head saying he had not an idea and Harry blinked in a jerky motion before snapping his head to his brother. Bard's smirk never left his face and his eyes never left Draco's strutting form until it disappeared before going back sitting back down in ther compartment.

He never did explain what that was about.

_**Tbc**_


	4. Chapter Three

**Chapter [**_**Three**_**]**

**[**_**Hogsmead Station, Scotland**_**]**

Having arrived at their destination, it was almost chaotic that getting down from the train was near to impossible. Bard saw it only as luck as he and his friends managed to get down without being squashed by the stampede of students and thanked his lucky stars that they weren't considered to haul their trunks off with them to school. He questioned these little 'house elves' but Harry said to just trust them since it was part of their job to bring their trunks for them. He blinked and turned to the direction where he heard a voice calling for first years and wondered since he is new that he would have to go with them instead of with his brother.

"Hey Harry—" He paused when he saw Harry staring at something ahead of them. He followed his brother's stared and let out an impressed whistle when he saw the skeletal like horses with wings.

"Very Gothic looking" commented Bard. Harry turned to him with a disbelief look on his face. "You can see them too?" Bard answered with a tilt of his head, "should I not be?" to which Harry shook his head and turned back to the horses.

"These weren't here before. This is the first I've seen them." Bard hummed then blinked when he heard 'New Fifth Year Student' and gave Harry a push to the carriage with a grin.

"I'm being called out. I guess I'll see you at dinner then." Harry nodded a bit dazedly but carried on to the cart where Hermione and the others were waiting.

**[****_Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_****] [****_Great Hall_****]**

_In times of old, when I was new, and Hogwarts__barely started,  
The founders of our noble school thought never to be parted.  
United by a common goal, they had the selfsame yearning  
To make the world's best magic school and pass along their learning.  
"Together we will build and teach" the four good friends decided.  
And never did they dream that they might someday be divided.  
For were there such friends anywhere as Slytherin__and Gryffindor?  
Unless it was the second pair of Hufflepuff__and Ravenclaw,  
So how could it have gone so wrong? How could such friendships fail?  
Why, I was there, so I can tell the whole sad, sorry tale.  
Said Slytherin, "We'll teach just those whose ancestry's purest."  
Said Ravenclaw, "We'll teach those whose intelligence is surest"  
Said Gryffindor, "We'll teach all those with brave deeds to their name."  
Said Hufflepuff, "I'll teach the lot and treat them just the same."  
These differences caused little strife when first they came to light.  
For each of the four founders had a house in which they might take only those they wanted, _

_so,  
For instance, Slytherin__took only pure-blood wizards of great cunning just like him.  
And only those of sharpest mind were taught by Ravenclaw__  
While the bravest and the boldest went to daring Gryffindor.  
Good Hufflepuff, she took the rest and taught them all she knew,  
Thus, the Houses__and their founders maintained friendships firm and true._

_So Hogwarts __worked in harmony for several happy years,  
but then discord crept among us feeding on our faults and fears._

_The Houses __that, like pillars four had once held up our school  
now turned upon each other and divided, sought to rule.  
And for a while it seemed the school must meet an early end.  
What with dueling and with fighting and the clash of friend on friend.  
And at last there came a morning when old Slytherin departed  
and though the fighting then died out he left us quite downhearted.  
And never since the founders four were whittled down to three  
have the Houses been united as they once were meant to be._

_And now the Sorting Hat is here and you all know the score:_  
_I sort you into Houses __because that is what I'm for.  
But this year I'll go further, listen closely to my song:  
though condemned I am to split you still I worry that it's wrong,  
though I must fulfill my duty and must quarter every year  
still I wonder whether sorting may not bring the end I fear.  
Oh, know the perils, read the signs, the warning history shows,  
for our Hogwarts is in danger from external, deadly foes  
and we must unite inside her or we'll crumble from within  
I have told you, I have warned you...  
let the Sorting now begin._

After that rather magnificent but ominous speech, the usual enthusiastic clapping that comes after became dull as the students comprehend the meaning and importance of the Sorting Hat's speech. A few whispers and gloomy faces were seen but were drowned out before Professor's McGonagall's voice in calling out first years' names. Bard almost fell asleep as soon as the last first year's name was called. Professor Dumbledore then stood up at last, to announce his coming.

"Now, this may be a bit of a surprise to you all but we have one more student to sort in." At this, many students tried to locate the said student but found no one else standing left in the great hall. Dumbledore chuckled amusedly at this before clearing his throat to once again gain his students' attention.

"He is admittedly, very new to magic but has proven himself capable of being amongst his age group." Whispers again filled the great hall but were once again drowned out by the Headmaster speaking, "at that, let us give a very warm welcome to Charlus 'Bard' Potter." He lifted his left arm and turned towards the _very _identical, _very_ familiar boy entering confidently at the left side of the hall near the professor's table and stopping beside the stool near Professor McGonagall. He then bowed to the student body with a smirk (some girls blushing) before sitting on the stool and having the Sorting Hat placed on his head. Harry could see the gaping and some students standing up in shock and couldn't help but giggle at the funny sight. Hermione elbowed him at the side as if to say it wasn't funny but was also having some trouble hiding her own twitching smile. Dolores Umbridge stared back and forth at the Headmaster to Bard incredulously as if not believing what she had just heard. And while all this was happening, it was taking quite a while for the sorting hat to decide, Harry noticed that Bard was frowning as if having an ordeal.

"Is Bard okay?" Hermione whispered to Harry, also having seen Bard's expression.

"I think he's trying to get the Sorting Hat decide on a different house for him." Hermione looked at him with shock.

"I don't think that's possibly Harry" said Hermione with a shook of nonbelief. Harry shrugged, not taking off his eyes at his brother.

"Happened to me" he said nonchalantly to which Hermione again took with shock. "You never mentioned anythi—" before she could finish they heard, for what seems to be the first time for them, the Sorting Hat _groaning in exasperation_. Some blinked their eyes as if thinking that they had only imagined it and the sour face the Hat was showing. It was then Harry first saw it. The triumphant face Bard showed when he wins something that he clearly knows he'll get if he wants it and as such, the Sorting Hat announced the trigger for the shock and gaping students for the second time in a row;

"_SLYTHERIN!_"

Not one student clapped that day save for some Professors.

**[****_Slytherin Dungeon_****]**

"Where is he?!" complained Drcao Malfoy, this year's chosen Head Boy as he waits standing outside the entrance to the Slytherin common room. He shivers and rubs his arms, getting more irritated at a certain person for not following the others and going off on his own. _'The dungeons aren't particularly warm to stand in on, Potter!'_ he angrily thought. It was then when he was about to decide to get his godfather's help to locate a missing student that he heard footsteps coming from the hallway to his right and turned to said direction seeing the annoying, smug face of the Potter twin that he absolutely loathes more than the original. His eyes narrowed in disgust.

"Oh, what a face you're showing Draco. Have you eaten something sour perhaps?" Bard asked with a smile that Draco absolutely hates and frowns.

"Do you know what time it is? We've only just been here for a few hours and already you've gotten yourself lost? Didn't you at least _try_ to follow the rest of the students or were you too in awe seeing the magic staircase that you got left behind?" he said in his higher-than-thou tone that doesn't appear to affect Bard in the least much to Draco's irritation and instead rubs his head with a smile in a sheepish manner.

"Sorry about that," Bard said putting down his arm on his side. "I was having a talk with Harry. I didn't want to think that I turned on him or some other ridiculous reason." He waved a hand. "Then I got held up by people asking me a bunch of questions."

"It doesn't concern me whether or not you got held up," Draco replied scornfully. "Next time if you want to have a private chit chat, do it on a time that doesn't get me in trouble! I'm lucky that a teacher caught you or else I would have wasted _more_ precious sleeping hours trying to find _you_. Do you even know how big this school is?!" Bard for some inane reason looked not scared at the Malfoy heir like most would be but seems to be enjoying Draco's scolding as he walked to the entrance of their common room having Draco step back not wanting to have any sort of contact with him. Bard smirked at that then spoke the password "_Merda_" opening the chamber to their common room and entering once it was fully opened. Draco followed not wanting to stand in the cold any longer. Bard then turned back to Draco with his smirk still in place.

"I thank you then, for wasting your _precious_ time to wait for me in the cold dungeon. I very much appreciate it Draco." Bard smiled and said it in a way that Draco made a step back as if not wanting to get any closer in fear for himself but not understanding why. Bard's lips twitched at Draco's impulsive reaction before walking to where he _knew_ his room was.

"Ho-How'd you know the password?" Draco asked, cursing himself for stuttering. Bard paused and looked up, thinking before answering over his shoulder, "I met someone very _useful_." Draco unconsciously shivered from the way Bard said that last word and walked fast paced towards his room, not wanting anymore to be in the vicinity of the very questionable raven teen.

"Nice password by the way. I'm surprised Professor Snape even allowed it." Bard commented. Draco regained his dignity snubbed him out.

**[****_Great Hall_****]**

"Where is your brother anyway?" Ron asked chewing on something or another in his mouth. Hermione turned in disgust.

"How many times do I have to tell you, Ronald?! Don't talk with your mouth full, it's completely revolting." Ron didn't listen and turned to look beside him at Harry stretching his neck looking for said brother.

"I don't see him anywhere in the Slytherin table." Harry said disappointedly.

"You don't think that maybe those Slytherin bastards already did something to him, do you? And it's only the first day." Ron said worryingly unintentionally making his best mate worry with him.

"Ron! Don't say such things! Honestly," Hermione scolded, "be a little sensitive." She then gave Harry a reassuring look, "don't listen to him Harry. From what I could tell about Bard is that he can handle himself just fine" she told him. Harry felt a little bit better also knowing himself that his twin looked more than capable but couldn't help to worry as this _was_ Slytherin they were talking about. More so the fact that its Head of House was none other than Severus Snape, Potions Master extraordinaire and he, who absolutely _despises_ Harry Potter, what then of his brother? Harry gave a forced smile back to Hermione not wanting to give her any more worries about him.

"And anyway," Hermione continued, convinced of Harry's smile, "we have more things to worry about other than Bard, like the fact that we have our upcoming O. ." Ron groaned at that.

…

"So Draco, what do you think of our resident celebrity?" Pancy asked, casually leaning up on Draco which the blond was avoiding discreetly not even glancing her way, continuing on with his breakfast.

"Hardly what I call a celebrity, Pancy. It's his brother who has a title; no one even knows he existed until yesterday." Blaise had to raise an eyebrow at him but chose not to say anything about it and went back to his breakfast.

"I know that but you have to admit, he's much better looking than the scrawny looking Potter over at the Gryffindor's table." She said, nodding at to where the famous trio were sitting. "I think we got the better half of the brothers" she smirked, leaning on the table as if revealing a secret. Draco gave an affronted scoff.

"Oh? You don't like him?" Pancy enquired with a raised brow. Draco didn't even dignify her with an answer choosing to stand and leave for their first class instead but paused when Professor Snape closed on him.

"Is there something…?" A parchment paper was given to him before he could finish, confused he looked up at their scowling Head.

"Give this to Potter when you find him. As Prefect, you have part of the responsibility for all the students' discipline and safety but as a part of Slytherin house, you're to also make sure that _all_ your housemates don't slack off, understand Mr. Malfoy?" Snape drawled out but was clearly understood by his students. Draco nodded having read between the lines and with that Snape turned around with his signature flare of his robes, "that goes for you too, Miss Parkinson" he said. A slightly scared nod and he went back to the teacher's table on the podium. Draco nearly crumpled the parchment in his fist as his anger for Potter rose to a heated level.

"Damn that Potter!" he hissed before leaving, his 'cronies' following after him with Vincent and Crabb grabbing lasts minute snacks on their way out of the Hall. His friends kept quiet knowing not to add to the Malfoy's ire.

"We should at least search for him back at the common room," Pancy tried as they read the doors but was thankfully saved from Draco's oncoming onslaught of his temper when they spotted a 'just-gotten-out-of-the-shower' Slytherin Potter. Pancy couldn't help but blush at that.

"And just where have you been?!" Draco's temper flared out, "Don't you know the time?! Or are you inept at reading the clock?!" Much to his chagrin, Bard took on his sheepish look, not one bit ashamed at neither having to be late again nor the fact that he might have no time to eat breakfast at all with the little time left before classes begin, only apologizing with a smile as if it was no big deal to him.

"And? Where were you that you missed breakfast? Overslept from getting lost last night, have you?" Blaise asked with a show of crossed arms and a raised brow.

"I got scolded by Professor Snape because of you!" Draco told him angrily which Bard seemed pleased about which was starting to get annoying, really.

"That's not right," Theodore finally spoke with a hand touching his chin as he remembered something. "If memory serves, I saw you leave the common room after I woke up." And everybody knew that Theodore Nott was the earliest riser in the Slytherin House so all of them understood the time it probably was, which only angered Draco more.

"And what do think you're doing at such an ungodly hour? Did you even sleep last night? I swear, Potter, if you were sneaking off to see—" He got cut off by a finger touching his lips, throwing him off before noticing that it was _Potter's_ finger touching him. He backed away quickly, rubbing his mouth with his sleeve in disgust. Bard only smirked, not at all insulted by the gesture.

"I think that will do. If we don't get a move on, we'll be late won't we?" Bard told them with one eyed closed and one hand holding the parchment containing his schedule (when he got that from Draco, no one knew) then gestured with his head to the hallway they were about to head off before. "Lady?" Pancy (and a few others) blushed once more before nodding and starting off to the direction where their first class was headed, the others following, used to the way Bard was acting with the girls. Draco 'humhped' before following with his head held high. Bard smirked before following Draco's lead not noticing the audience they gained when he was getting a scolding.

"Did you _see_ that?" Ron gaped. Hermione's lip was twitching by the end of it and Harry shook his head with a smile, feeling the tension roll out from his shoulders.

"I'm now positive that he can handle himself." Harry said. Hermione added a "no kidding" on her part and they too headed off to their respective classes.

"But he hadn't even eaten breakfast."

**[****_Double Potions with Gryffindor_****]**

"Tough luck your brother has, mate" whispered Ron to Harry as they prepared the ingredients for the potion Snape assigned for them to do within the class hour. Harry glanced at Ron, not knowing what he was on about until the red head gestured towards his brother's table up two tables up front from them and cringed when he recognized Bard's partner.

"Don't think Snape will give him a fair chance since it's his first time will he?" Harry hoped. Ron shook his head. "Don't think so mate." They both gave Bard their moral support before focusing back to their boiling cauldron.

"A-are you sure about this, Bard?" Neville nervously whispered as he watched his partner prepare the ingredients while he manages the flame for their cauldron. Bard didn't hesitate in putting a handful of _something_ in the pot before glancing back to Neville's shaky state.

"No worries Nev'. I know what I'm doing; you just keep managing the pot and stir when I tell you, alright? I may not look like it but I do know how to cook." Bard grinned confidently. Neville still wasn't sure but trusted Bard enough to let him handle the actual potion making since he felt it was for the best. He, himself wasn't exactly the best when it comes to potions, so, afraid of what might _explode_, he let the more confident one to handle the ingredients since he didn't trust his shaking hands to even cut the weeds properly. He felt his back stiffen when a familiar pair of eyes bore unto their table.

"Not letting your partner throw in ingredients Potter? Wise choice, considering _who_ you're partnered with." Snape said with an added sneer at Neville. Bard's smile fell but Neville could tell when something changed within Bard's smile, despite only just having met, but chose to ignore it in favor of Professor's Snape's unnerving presence.

"I'm having him manage the flames, Professor. I didn't want him handling a knife seeing as he has a slight problem with his hands shaking a tad bid." He then turned to look at their Professor, "wouldn't want an accident to happen now, would you?" he casually stated with his smile but his eyes held a sharper look.

"Threatening a Teacher now, Potter?" impugn Snape in a low tone as to not be heard by the other students. Bard didn't reply and went back to their cauldron, shifting a little in between the Professor and Neville. The latter unconsciously following the other's lead. Snape narrowed his eyes at that but went back to his viewing of cauldrons giving a brief look at theirs before moving on. Neville let out a sigh with his shoulder's sagging before turning to his partner beside him.

"I don't know if it's just me but it seemed as if Professor looked _scarier_ than before. Have you met before?" He asked the still smiling Bard but was relieved to find it less sharp then it was before.

"Hm?" Bard glanced at him, "Ah…" he shrugged thinking back to the time he first met the man. "Let's just say we had an awful first impression of each other." He left it at that and Neville knew not to push for answers. It was probably enough considering Harry's own relationship with the man, it wasn't hard to imagine Bard having the same kind of dislike as his twin. He shrugged then went back to their potion.

"Neville!"

…

"I'm _so_ sorry Bard" Neville apologized with his head bowed he and Bard walked out from the room for lunch. Bard waved a hand saying, "Stop apologizing Nev', we got a pass in the end."

"_Barely,_" muttured Neville with a defeated look on his face. Bard smiled sympathetically at his friend's bowed head.

"I'm never been good at Potions." Neville explained, "Ever since first year, the potions I keep making turn out not right or simply exploding on my face. We're lucky it didn't this time. I'm sorry that you had to get partnered with me when it was your first time and all. Professor Snape even made it so that it would be easier for you…" he trailed off, his voice getting lower with each word. He then blinked up to Bard, having to stop from walking to prevent bumping taller teen.

"Wha-what?" he uttered confusedly, gazing upon the confident grin Bard beamed at him and was startled by a hand suddenly pulling him by his wrist, leading him on a run down the moving staircases.

"Ba-Bard! Whe-where are you go-going? This-this isn't the way to the Great Hall!" Neville said with a struggle as he was being jostled along by Bard. They then halted in front of a large painting of fruits in a bowl with him nearly falling but were thankfully caught by Bard's arms. He started panting and felt his legs weaken, not used to running at such fast speeds or ever having ran at all. _'It was a miracle that nothing happened on the staircase.'_

After having recovered his breath and rubbing some sweat off his face with his sleeve, he looked up now noticing where they had stopped. "Why did we go to the kitchens? There's food in the Great Hall" he told Bard.

Bard peered at the painting doubtfully before rubbing the green pear uncertainly and flinched when it squirmed and laughed under his touch but continued to do so until it transformed itself into a green door-knob. Bard smiled successfully before pulling and opening the door that led to the kitchens. He entered unhesitatingly, pulling Neville along and stood upon the chaotic working house elves, creating dish after dish of food to be placed on each of the five tables to be transported upon its counterpart table in the Great Hall. Neville became slightly nervous from the way the house elves turned to them as they entered and gave a shaky grip at Bard's robe not liking the attention. It was to his great relief when the house elves turned back to their job as if deeming them insignificant of their attention. Bard gave a chuckle, amused and turned when one house elf with what look liked socks on his ears approached them.

"Mr. Bard Potter, sir!" the house elf said. Bard gave a fond smile saying, "Dobby."

"What does Mr. Potter and friend, require of us, sir?" Dobby asked with a gesture to the kitchen. Neville turned to Bard.

"I need a stove to cook on for my friend here," he gestured beside him, "mind opening a place for us? I promise we'll be quick." Bard finished with a wink.

"Oh no! Is the dishes we cook not enough for you sir?" Dobby panicked with his hands already shaking, ready to punish himself.

"Not at all," interjected Bard, forcing the little elf to focus on him with his tone alone. "The food's so great it makes me want to add it to my recipe. It's my hobby to cook and I wanted my friend here to try some of mine since he's doubtful about my dishes," Bard said sorrowfully. Neville had to look at him incredulously, having no idea that Bard even cooked at all never mind ever doubting his friend's skill at all.

"So mind helping me prove my skill's worth and letting him have a taste of my dish? You can have some too if you like, as thanks for yesterday." Bard winked. Dobby blushed so much that he almost turned pink.

"Oh-oh! But, I could never! I'm not deserving of—" but was cut off by Bard.

"I insist." He said, walking a few steps forward. "Now about that stove? And a few ingredients s'il vous plaît." Neville was in awe at how efficiently Bard handled a house elf, specifically, _Dobby._

Bard pushed his glasses up as he smirked at him while Dobby went to get them a place. "Find a seat Neville while I'll show you something good."

**[****_Great Hall_****]**

"Where does that Potter keep _disappearing_ to?!" Draco angrily muttered as his bit off a piece of chicken from his fork. "It hasn't even been a _day_."

"That does raise a question." Blaise commented from across Draco's seat.

"He must have gotten some sort of map from that brother of his." Pancy said in her seat beside Draco.

"A map of Hogwarts?" Theodore looked up at them before scoffing at the idea. "It is possible but I doubt those Gryffindor's has even put a thought to that idea."

Pancy hummed, placing an elbow on the table and leaning her head on her hand, "It might have crossed their minds. That Granger girl _is_ smart." Theodore raised a brow at her.

"Giving a compliment to a Lion, Pancy? My, I didn't know you liked them." Blaise teased. Pancy blush in abashment.

"I'm only saying a fact. Even Professor Snape gives her a high grade despite hating Lions the most." Pancy said in a defensive tone, her blush still apparent. Draco opened his mouth to give _his_ thoughts on the subject but was cut off by a familiar voice having just entered the Hall.

"Well, speak of the devil and he shall appear" Pancy said once again leaning her head on her hand.

…

"That was delicious, Bard! I've never had anything like it!" Neville exclaimed loudly, not bothered by the stares he received from some students as he grinned at his potion's partner.

"Glad you liked it. Dobby said the same thing." Bard chuckled at the memory of the little house elf glowing with happiness in his huge wide eyes when he tasted Bard's dish.

"What was it again? Indian cuisine?" Neville enquired. "Where'd you learn how to cook like that?" he asked with admiration in his eyes.

"A palace in the desert" Bard answered mysteriously with one eye close, "but enough about that, the actual reason that we went there was to show you what we'll be doing from now on, every weekend." Neville tilted his head, "from now on…?" Bard nodded and put one finger up with his other hand on his waist.

"I've decided to help you with your potion making problem." Bard declared, surprising his ungainly companion.

"By cooking…?" Neville stated unsurely. Bard put his finger down as he explained.

"From the books I've read and from the practical we had at class, potion making is simply put; cooking. You're only problem isn't lack of skill in making a potion but just lack of practice."

"But we've been doing this for five years and!" Bard shook his head at Neville. "You're just nervous at handling ingredients and the fact that you're frightened by Snape alone gets you jumpy." Neville averted his eyes at that, non-denying.

"Cooking will give you the confidence you'll need and it'll give you a steady hand. Not to mention that it's more fun than staying in a cold wet dungeon for practice, don't you think?" Neville then realized what Bard was trying to tell him. Bard gave a grin.

"So what do you think?" he asked, holding up a hand. "Want to be my study buddy?"

Neville wasted no time in shaking his hand with a delighted smile on his face, "of course!"

**_Tbc_**


	5. Chapter Four

**Chapter [****_Four_****]**

**[****_Early Morning, Hogwarts' Courtyard_****]**

Bard leans tiredly on a pillar as he catches his breath, wiping sweat from his face with a hand. It's been a week since his first day living at Hogwarts and already, much has happened regarding Harry and him.

The day after their first day, he wasn't entirely surprised when at breakfast, newspapers bearing his name and the title of 'Lost Twin Brother' made front page. He _was_ surprised at having a moving photo of him displayed right below the headlines though and wondered just how he missed a camera coming near him enough to take the obviously stolen shot. The flash it gave was even more a mystery since he doesn't even remember having come close to one but he digresses.

Being accused of as a fake did not even bother him one bit despite the suspicious looks he got after not to mention the tons of, what he thinks, are exposing spells being thrown at him. He thankfully had enough of a sixth sense to successfully dodge the oncoming attacks (to the delight of their Divination Professor and the surprise of the casters). He explained to them the benefits of having been used to sensing these kinds of things and left it at that.

What really irked him though, was what happened on the _first_ day of school when his twin brother, Harry, got detention for the week, by Dolores Umbridge no less. His hand gripped the pillar it was leaning to a little harder.

Dolores Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister Cornelius Fudge and Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher sent over by said Minister. It was a wonder how she could still identify other colors when he thought she should have been already blinded by the bright _pink_ she surrounds herself with. He almost regretted coming in to her office to get a concord of Harry's case to attend the tryouts for the sake of house-team spirit. He, of course failed in that transaction which added to his irk but accept defeat. Harry even thanked him for his efforts when normally a person would get angrily embarrassed by it saying that a fifteen year old was old enough to handle his or her own problems. Bard chuckled at that thought and stared up at the early morning sunrise of the hour as he sat down on the grass leaning against a pillar with one leg bent and a hand on his canteen.

Still, he frowned at the personification of Dolores Umbridge. In reality, there is not one person in the world who would be as 'kind' and as 'proper' as that person is without hiding a hidden personality. He's a hundred percent convinced that that woman was not as she claims to be. He knows what a woman taking care of cats looks like and _knew_ that Dolores Umbridge doesn't fit _any of them_. Though he does admit that she is a force to be reckoned with given her title holds prestige and wouldn't have been bestowed unto her had she not been qualified.

_'__But still…'_ his thoughts trailing off as he opens his canteen and drinks from it. He pauses and puts down his canteen sneaking a glance behind him and locating the cat of, if he recalls correctly, Argus Filch, the _caretaker_.

He stood up already knowing what was coming after and turns fully at the Maine Coon sitting precariously on top of a ledge. He smiled at the cat, unflinchingly staring straight at its seemingly intelligent, knowing eyes then heard the coming footsteps of its ever _benevolent_ master. He and the cat turned their heads to the direction where filch was coming from.

"You again," Filch sneered as he took upon Bard's smiling figure as he approached. He stopped near his pet's form and let the cat jumped down on his head to his awaiting arms. Despite the cat's size, Filch flimsy arms seemed used to holding the weight and held the cat up without any trouble. He then turned back to Bard, his face opposite to how he gently holds his cat.

"What are you up to? Always on the grounds every morning, I'll have you reported to the headmaster!" He threatened. Bard wasn't at all disturbed by it and instead seemed more interested on the cat.

"Morning exercises." He answered Filch, his eyes still on the cat and said, "You know, it's been a week since we've been having the same routine every morning and yet I still don't know the name of your cat. Lovely cat by the way. I don't think I've ever seen such a graceful cat as yours is." Bard complimented with his signature smile. Filch stepped back and scorned at him, holding tightly to his cat as if afraid that Bard might take it from him.

"You take him away from me and I'll have you expelled from this school!" he yelled defensively, almost panicked and that was when Bard knew to just let that person be. He put his hand up in surrender with sheepish look and walked slowly back before turning away. Bard let out a breath as if tired from just communicating with the man and decided to head to the kitchens for a snack before going back to his house for a shower.

**[****_Slytherin Common Room_****]**

Bard waited for the entrance to form fully before entering the chamber. A warm room greeted his tense, slightly cold muscles as he walked in. The fireplace was already up and running with a blaze of burning wood, filling his senses with the smell of ash and the sound of crackling from the chopped logs. He glanced around the room noticing the silence indicating that his housemates were acquiring as much sleep as they can possibly get on a Saturday morning. He continued on quickly to the showers to take this opportune silence for some light reading. He then blinked as he realized something he almost forgot, _'I also better take this chance to right a letter to En. Don't want him thinking that I forgot about him.'_ He chuckled.

…

"Enjoying your book, Potter?" A familiar haughty tone asked. Bard continued reading his pocket book, his eyes not once leaving the words on a page before having finished the page and finally looking up to stare at Draco Malfoy's form from behind the couch he was laying upon.

"I am. Thank you for asking, Draco." He greeted him with a smile. Draco gave a 'humph' before continuing.

"And? Where did you run off to? Every day, for that matter." Draco asked reproach-ably.

"Aw Draco, I didn't know you cared." Bard teased with a smile. Draco made an indignant front.

"I'm a _Prefect_ you incompetent twit! I have a responsibility of _punishing_ students that give our House a _bad name, _one such as _you_." Draco rebuked with narrowed eyes at Bard with the intention of scaring him off to obedience, but instead, to his mortification, got backfired when Bard gave an eerie smirk back. He was startled when Bard unexpectedly reached out, grabbing his wrist that was sitting innocently on the back of the couch and _pulled_. He _felt,_ more than saw Bard's own intent in his eyes _for him_ that made him struggled to be released but was weak compared to Bard's firm grip on him, despite even pushing against the couch's back with his other hand. He involuntarily froze when Bard's minted breath wafted on his face.

"I'll be _happy_ to _receive_ _any_ sort of _punishment_ from _you_." Bard purred.

Draco's blush reached to the back of his ears.

He slapped away Bard's hand once he felt it slacken and beamed a laser glare at the raven who sat up with that _smirk_ that he _absolutely_ _loathes_ as much as its owner with a hand on his face as he tries to cover as much red that he just _knew_ was visible. Many types of curses in different sort of languages floated up to his head, all of which were directed at the _very _much _smug_ teen before him before storming out the common room, his blush still on his face. He yelled out a "_Sick Pervert!_" before he was fully out of the room.

Bard only chuckled at the blond, the words _'God, he's so adorable'_ in his head.

"You shouldn't be teasing him like that." A voice sounded through his thoughts. He turned and saw Blaise Zabini coming out from one of the corridors in the room, fixing a button on his shirt.

"I don't have a clue what you're talking about." Bard innocently stated, but with the grin shown on his face, it wasn't convincing. Blaise ignored it and fixed his collar instead. He chose to look when he heard the crippling sound of parchment being folded.

"Is that a letter?" he asked, not particularly curious but wouldn't mind having a conversation with the other teen. Bard held up a folded envelope with a waxed seal for him to see.

"A letter for my little brother" Bard complied. Blaise raised a brow muttering, "There are _more _of you?" Bard laughed at that.

"_Adopted_, little brother," Bard reassured. "He's a prince from Arabia." He boasted to a straight faced Blaise.

"…The Owlery is on the top of the school's west tower; ask the paintings should you ever get lost." And with that, he left. Bard gave a smile in thanks at the back of the departing teen, knowing that should he have voiced it out, he wouldn't have been acknowledged by the reserved teen.

"West tower was it?"

**[****_West Tower_****]**

"Oh," Bard let out when he noticed his brother coming towards him with a girl in tow. Harry looks up at him in a start.

"Oh Bard," said Harry, "Didn't see you there." Bard smiled having expected it.

"Yeah, just going to the Owerly to send a letter." He raised said letter. Harry looked at him curiously, "To whom?" he asked but was waved off.

"And who's this lovely young lady with you?" Bard asked looking at said 'lovely lady'. Both Harry and the young lady blushed, not having expected such a statement. Harry nervously introduced them but first sent a glare at his teasingly smirking brother.

"Cho, this is my twin brother Charlus Potter but is used to answering to 'Bard' and don't take him seriously, I found out that he's like that to _every_ girl that he meets" he said to a nervously blushing Cho who giggled from it.

"Bard, this is Cho Chang, a Ravenclaw and the seeker of their quidditch team." Bard gave an impressed look and shook her hand.

"Nice to meet you, Bard" Cho greeted with a welcoming smile.

"A pleasure to meet _you_, Ms. Chang" Bard winked but Cho only giggled at him, not taking him seriously as Harry warned. Bard smirked at that.

"Bard—" Harry started but was waved off by a departing Bard.

"Well then, I'll see at breakfast Harry."

"Hey wait!" Harry called and turned to reach out but was stopped by Bard raising a hand and glancing over his shoulder with a telling smirk directed at him. Harry blushed, not naïve enough to know what it meant.

"Sorry but I got to get this letter off flying, _ciao_" he called back and started climbing the stairs. Cho chuckled at Bard's antics with a knowing smile.

"Your brother's so funny Harry." Cho commented but then realized something they forgot, "Oh, we forgot to tell him that Filch is at the Owerly."

**[****_Great Hall, Breakfast_****]**

"So he just left you there?" Ron said with a growing laugh. Harry tried to ignore him by eating more of his breakfast with an irritated look, remembering how _embarrassed_ he was when his brother left.

"Where is he now?" Hermione asked.

"He said that he'll see me at breakfast," Harry looked around but sighted no sign of his identical.

"Maybe he had trouble trying to get an owl to mail his letter." Ron snickered.

"You're no better with Pigwidgeon, Ron" Hermione retorted with a roll of her eyes. Before Ron could say something back, a voice that they hadn't heard for a while greeted them with a question.

"Ron's having troubles with a pig?" asked Bard, joining them at their table despite wearing Slytherin's colors.

"_Pigwidgeon_," corrected Harry, looking at Bard's confused gaze. "He's an owl that Padfoot gave to Ron as a gift to apologize for breaking his leg in third year." Bard raised a questionable brow at that but then nodded in understanding when he remembered the tales that Harry and his friends told him while still living at Grimmauld Place. He then started to pile food on a plate for his breakfast while continuing a conversation with them that managed to draw in a small crowd to the delight of Hermione as she started to hand out a bunch of pins for her 'Save the Elves' Project or what she calls 'Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare', S.P.E.W for short.

…

Bard looked as if he was having the time of his life as he spoke with the Gryffindors on their side of the Hall, laughing and sharing gossip with a smile on his face despite him, technically being a part of their rival house. As he was having fun talking to the Lions, he seemed not to notice a few stares glancing his way from a few of the other three houses but more specifically, an angry glare that, if eyes can do damage, then Bard would have been buried three feet under.

Sitting three tables away from the Gryffindor's table on other far side of the hall sat a _still_ blushing Draco tightly gripping a fork that, with added pressure would have bent under the blond's fist as he tried to shoot lasers with his eyes positioned on a _certain _raven.

_'__Who does he think he is?!'_ Thought Draco, ignorant of the way the air around him was scaring his housemates away from sitting close to him. Pancy and the others chose to leave him be with his thoughts, not wanting to incur his temper.

As a person born and raised in high society, he understood from his father's teachings as well as his mother's about how to never allow nor even consider the emotion 'hate'. That 'hating' a person will cause a distortion in his way of thinking about how other people truly are and that as a Malfoy, he was to believe that it wasn't 'hate' that made them supporters of Lord Voldemort but in fact, was because of the belief that they were 'better' than those born without magic, that they were 'above' them. That those born without magic are merely 'pests' that copulate too much for their own good and needs to be exterminated as quickly as possible, and those who were raised by them were simply 'lucky' enough to be able to have their ability, or so says his parents. So the word 'hate', to him, is not an emotion worth feeling as he learned that it will only influence him in a way that would be disastrous to him if he ever followed that path. _(He never _hated _Harry and those Griffindorks, merely saw them as simpletons who were below his station and as such were used his source for entertainment)._ He was proud to say that he had always lived up to that belief and never once hated a person, until _that_ day.

That _blasted_ day he set his eyes on a person he falsely believed as _Harry Potter_. Draco snorted lowly, _'It figures _Harry Potter_ would be the one to cause _me_ trouble even without actually being there to cause it.'_ At this point, his glare lessened until it was nonexistent, slowly turning to a dazed look as he let an elbow rest on the table and let a cheek lean on his hand.

On that _faithful_ day after he had finally managed to coerce his parents into agreeing with him to let him have a holiday for a week _alone_, he had stepped on board a large _cruise ship_, dressed as a _muggle_. A hand on his arm unconsciously tightened around his sleeve as the memories of that week replayed in his eyes.

It was a week he both purely _loved_ and _hated._

**[****_Quidditch Pitch_****]**

"Get that ball George!" The Gryffindor's quidditch team captain, Angelina Johnson, yelled.

"On it!" cried out said teen.

"Here, here!" And a few other similar shouts were heard in the pitch.

Bard gave a laugh when their captain scolded them and told them to take their practice seriously. Standing on the ground below, he watched at the players zooming by above them with incredible speeds while he helped his brother toss balls for Ron to hit from different angles on the ground while Harry took the sky. He blinked and turned to focus back at Ron when he heard a 'thud' and an 'ow!' from him. Ron rubbed atop his helmet covered and glared accusingly back at him. He turned to Harry hovering some ways beside him who was busily trying to stop himself from having to laugh at his best friend. Bard turned a confused look back at Ron.

"Oy, Bard! I told you to toss it BY me! Not AT me!" Ron angrily informed Bard. Bard gave an apologetic grin at him as he sheepishly rubbed his head.

"Sorry mate! Wasn't looking where I was throwing!"

"Just focus on trying to hit the ball Ron!" Harry grinned as he tossed another ball at him that was successfully blocked by their new keeper.

"Easy for you to say," Ron said as he blocked another ball, "Bard's tossing the ball so hard, it almost feels like a bludger! Tone it down why don't you! My arms feel like its getting stabbed!" Ron complained as he blocks another ball.

Bard snickered as he throws another ball, "that's called gaining muscles, Ron. You'll have to keep it up if you don't want your arms to fall off!" he joked, letting loose another.

"Fall off?!" Ron cried out with wide eyes.

"He's joking Ron!" Harry immediately soothed with a grin of his own as he tossed a ball at him.

"Alright!" called out Angelina to her teammates who immediately turned to her, "We'll be having a practice match! So I better see you playing seriously! Or else!" she threatened which got her teammates to scramble in haste.

"Give me a lift up to the stands will you, Harry?" Bard called out to his brother before he could fly off. Harry nodded and touched the ground for Bard to reach him and flew them to the nearest stands, letting Bard safely hop down.

"Thanks" Bard thanked with a wink and a two fingered salute which Harry rolled his eyes at good naturedly. It was then they noticed a group of Slytherins entering the stands. Harry frowned in dislike while Bard raised a brow, smirking when he saw a familiar bleached blond walking with them at front.

"What're _you_ doing here?" Harry asked in distaste. Draco smirked seeming to ignore Bard's presence beside the boy.

"Who, us?" Draco innocently gestured at his smirking companions before his own smirk returned, "Why, we're just here to watch, Potter. There's no rules that says we can't, is there?" His 'friends' gave a loud snickering that gained the attention of the other players but before Harry could retort back, Bard raised an arm as a signal to stop. He turned confusedly at his pleased, smirking brother who was looking unblinkingly at Draco, much to the blond's displeasure.

"Sure, go ahead" Bard told them then smirked at Harry, "why don't you give them a show," his eyes shifted some ways behind Harry, "Angelina?" he said with a conspirator-y look to which Angelina answered back with.

"You heard him, Harry! Now come play as chaser on Ron's side, come on! Get your butt in gear!" Harry stumbled a bit with his broom but flew off to the pitch with his captain following. Bard followed them with his eyes before smirking back at a scowling Draco before climbing up to get a better view with the other Slytherins following his example but sitting a few rows away from him. Hermione suddenly appeared, choosing to sit beside him.

"And here I thought you don't _like_ quidditch." Bard teased leaning close to her but got pushed off by the face.

**[****_Hogwarts Library_****]**

_'__Well, that could have gone better.'_ Bard thought while walking towards the library.

The Gryffindor's quidditch practice came to a halt earlier than the captain would have liked but with the Slytherin jeering and taunting their new nervous keeper, she didn't have a choice but to end practice early. It also didn't help that Ron managed to accidentally injure chaser's Katie Bell's nose in the process. He thought it a wise choice and applauded Angelina's thinking because it would have been bad had they continued even without Katie Bell. The tense shoulders and the anger emitting from the players could be felt from where he was sitting on and there would have been a fight had Ron _not_ caused the injury. It was both a blessing and a curse. (For Katie at least.)

He snapped from his thoughts as he entered the large doors of their school's library and saw Neville waving at him from a table near a large window and went towards him.

"Hey Nev', hope you didn't wait long." He greeted as he pulled a seat beside his study partner, dropping his shoulder bag down on the floor beside him.

"Don't worry; I took the liberty of gathering the books we needed while I was waiting." Neville grinned at him. Bard glanced at the tons of books sitting around them almost nervously. "So I see." He said as he slowly sat down. Neville gave a grin at him as if sensing his hesitancy and started opening a book about Herbology, his favorite subject.

"Let's start then, shall we?" Neville declared almost excitedly. Bard, pleased with how excited his friend gave a determined nod back.

…

"I can't believe how fast you managed to finish it Bard!" Neville said in an awed tone as he continued reading parchment after parchment of Bard's assigned work given to him. Though he wasn't as smart as say, Hermione Granger, he was still capable enough to understand that Bard's written assignment would be given a high grade.

"Not as fast as you think. It just so happens that I'm used to paperwork. You could say 'research' is my forte" Bard winked.

"What did you do for you to get paperwork?" Neville asked curiously, putting down Bard's finished work.

"Some secretary work for an important brat." Bard shrugged as he took a random book from their pile, opening it and reading from a random page.

"An Important brat?"

"My adopted little brother, En. He's the eleventh prince of the Esra Desert Kingdom in Arabia." (A/N: Made up)

"A-a-a A Prince?!" Neville exclaimed with wide eyes. They flinched when a loud 'shh!' echoed throughout the library.

"A prince?" Neville exclaimed again but in a whisper this time, not wanting to be heard again by the librarian. Bard smirked amusedly at Neville's reaction.

"The _eleventh_ prince" Bard corrected. "He's still a brat though so I'm given half of his workload while the rest goes to his caretaker but since I'm here, I'll be excused from work for a while until after this school year. Though I imagine it'll be an equivalent of hell of work waiting for me when I get back." Bard grinned.

"You're only fifteen and yet you're already working?! That's amazing Bard!" Neville exclaimed in awe then reflexively covered his mouth as another loud 'hush!' sounded. Bard chuckled at his silly study partner.

"Not as fun as you think but it is rewarding, now come on, we need to finish the rest of the work in time to cook something for dinner." He then pointed at Neville's half-filled transfiguration assignment. "You better finish that if you want to _have_ dinner." Neville gave a whine of protest but did as he was told.

As they were vigorously studying, Neville never did notice a pair of eyes watching them, or more specifically, _him_, seated at a table far enough away not to be noticed by close enough for Bard to recognize whose it was.

**_Tbc_**


End file.
